The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-20
A Reluctant ADMISSION.

A portion of the Northern press seems dis
posed to admit that there is about as much
race prejudice in that section of the country
as there is in the South. The Asbury Park
incident appears to have opened their eyes a
little and shown them that in the discussion
of this race question they have not been al
together free from cant and hypocrisy
The New York Sun, commenting on this
question, says ''In truth, the color line is
sharply drawn at tho North as well at the
South, against which we have no right to
bring the charge of marrow and I'M
christian race luminosity. AS n colored
preacher said the other day, the only differ
ence is that the South is honester in express
ing its antipathy and it's determination to
keep the races apart Here there is dispo-
sition to hide the same feeling and purpose
under n cloak of cant and humbug"
The Boston Herald has this to say on
the same subject, "The fact is that preju-
dice does exist in both sections 1t would
be strange, indeed, if it did not exist in the
South. A people who in themselves and
their ancestors have lived for several gener-
ations with the black race in slavery to
themselves, and who-even admitting the
natural inferiority of the black TO be less
than is charged-have seen them in entire
ignorance of what is taught by school edu-
cation, cannot be expected TO accept feel
ing of equality with such a race readily.
Personally the Southerner is often kinder to
the ignorant black man than are those of
white blood at the North. He is more used
to personal association with him, and has
less of that antipathy to personal contact
that often prevails here. But there must
. always be with this the assertion of personal
superiority
The Northerner is not in n position to lee
ture the Southerner for his prejudice against
the negro. When it comes to the point of
associating with the negro on terms of
equality he finds that he has the same preiu-
dice that the Southerner has, and that, too,
without the kindly feeling for him which
the Southerner has The Northerner does
not want TO be brought into contact with
the negro in any way, while the Southerner
only objects to his assumption of equality.
II may be true that the negro has admission
to places at the North to which he is not
A''tAAAAANNA ttV NNN h'ohNiii bub thlS 10 btNduSt
of the overwhelming numbers of the
negroes at the South. If the negroes were
as numerous at the North as they are at the
South, the prejudice against them would be
even moro marked there than it is here
That this is true is shown 10y the hostility TO
them that cropped out at Asbury Park as
soon as they began to gather there in large
numbers.
II the Northern people will look at this
matter fairly they will find that they are
not sincere when they condemn race preju-
dice at the South. 1t is noticeable that those
of them who come South have great deal
less sympathy for the negro than the South
ern people have, and are the quickest TO re-
sent anything that looks likes an assumption
of equality, They are not at all anxious to
prove by their conduct the sincerity of the
opinions which they expressed so freely on
the race question at tho North. When the
Northern people show that they are free
from race prejudice their criticism of the
Southern people for entertaining this preju-
dice will be in better taste.